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If you’re a runner in Roanoke, chances are you’ve logged some miles on the Roanoke River Greenway. It’s one of the most beautiful spots in town to get your training in — but as any runner knows, the hard part often comes after the run. Recovery is where your body adapts, heals, and gets stronger.
Here are 3 quick, effective tips to speed up your recovery after a long run on the Greenway.
After pounding the pavement (or trails), your muscles are tight and your joints have taken on repetitive stress. Instead of collapsing on the couch, spend 10–15 minutes moving through gentle mobility drills:
👉 Think of this as “cooling down” with intention — it’s one of the fastest ways to bounce back.
Roanoke summers especially can take a toll with heat and humidity. By the time you finish a long Greenway run, your body is craving replenishment.
That tight calf, cranky knee, or stiff low back you feel after a long run? Don’t ignore it. These are often early signs of movement imbalances or overuse patterns. At Highland Spine + Sport, we see runners every week who thought it was “just soreness” until it became a nagging injury.
Quick fixes you can try at home:
But if your pain lingers more than a few days, it’s worth getting checked out. A comprehensive evaluation can uncover the real cause and keep you running strong on the Greenway instead of sidelined.
Running the Greenway is one of the best ways to enjoy Roanoke, but proper recovery makes all the difference in how your body adapts and performs. By focusing on mobility, hydration/nutrition, and early injury management, you’ll not only recover faster but also keep logging miles with confidence.
At Highland Spine + Sport, we specialize in helping runners and active individuals feel better, move better, and live better — so you can keep doing what you love.